Article of manufacture with non-slip suction means



y 1952 w. P. SEMON 3,043,025

ARTICLE OF MANUFACTURE WITH NON-SLIP SUCTION MEANS Filed Dec. 9, 1960 FIG.

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MLA/A/V 55/70/11 3,043,025 ARTICLE OF NIANUFACTURE WITH NON-SLIP SUCTION BEANS Wiiliam P. Semen, 59 Nassau Ave, Manhasset, NY. Filed Dec. 9, 1969, Ser. No. 75,012 3 Claims. (1. 36-49) This invention relates to an article of manufacture having non-slip suction means aflixed to the underface there of adapted to adhere to a supporting surface for preventing slipping thereof.

The invention comprehends an article of manufacture such as footwear, bathmats and the like having a pluraiity of non-slip suction means on the underface thereof which adhere to a supporting surface when pressure is applied to the article of manufacture and which suction means is provided with valve means adapted to retain residual air in compressed relation when the suction means adheres to a supporting surface for effecting quickrelease of the suction means by escape of the residual air into the suction means when pressure on the article of manufacture is released.

A further object of the invention is to provide an article of manufacture with non-slip suction means in the form of vacuum cups each having communication with an internal cavity and with valve means for closing oflf the communication therebetween for entrapping and compressing air in the cavity when pressure is applied to the article of manufacture and when the pressure is released therefrom for effecting an opening of the valve means to permit of the escape of the entrapped compressed air into the vacuum cups for quickly breaking the suction' securing the Vacuurn cups to the supporting surface.

A further object of the invention is to provide an article of manufacture with suction cups of said character which can be readily produced as apart of the article of manufacture in spaced relation-over substantially the entire underface thereof.

With the foregoing and other objects in view reference is now made to the following specification and accompanying drawings illustrating the application of the non-slip suction means to two articles of manufacture.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an underside view of a shoe sole provided with a plurality of non-slip suction means constructed in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken approximately on line 2-2 of FIG. 1 with the upper of the shoe fragmentarily illustrated.

FIG. 3 is an underside view of a bathmat having nonslip suction means constructed in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 4is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken approximately on line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

- Referring to the drawings, the invention is illustrated in its application to footwear and bathmats, but it is to be understood that any article of manufacture which may slip or slide when pressure is applied thereagainst may be provided with non-slip suction means constructed in accordance with the invention.

In the article of manufacture shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings, a shoe 1-0 is provided on the outer face of the sole 11 thereof with a plurality of non-slip suction means such as suction cups 12. The sole 11 is formed of resilient material such as flexible resilient rubber and the like and consists of upper and lower coextensive plies 13 and 14. The upper ply 13 is sewed or otherwise afiixed to the upper 15 of the shoe and with the plies 13 and 14 cemented or otherwise secured together throughout their extent to seal the bond therebetween.

The suction cups 12 are formed integrally with the lower ply 14 and are spaced apart throughout the extent dtates Patent 3,@43,25 Patented July 10, 1962 thereof to provide a firm support for securing the sole to a supporting surface when pressure is applied thereagainst. Each of the suction cups includes a cup shaped wall 16 having an inner arcuate face 17 which forms a cup shaped recess 18. The annular edges 19 of the several cups are disposed substantially in alignment throughout the extent of the sole.

In order to insure a quick-release of each cup when the pressure on the article of manufacture on the shoe is released as by lifting the foot, the sole is provided with a valve means for each suction cup which entraps a small amount of air therein when pressure is applied to the sole so as to cause the cups to adhere to a supporting surface by suction, and when the pressure is released from the sole the valve means functions to release the entrapped airwhich enters the suction cup so as to break the suction. As illustrated, the upper ply 13 is provided with a cavity 20 for each suction cup which is disposed centrally thereabove and is in communication with the interior of the cup by a cylindrical aperture 21 which opens centrally into the recess 18 of the cup and the cavity 20. The upper wall 23 of the cavity 20 is of arcuate shaped formation and depending therefrom is a conical shaped valve element 24 which projects into the aperture 21 and is adapted to engage with the annular upper edge 25 thereof for closing the aperture so as to entrap air in the cavity when weight or pressure is applied to the sole to cause the suction cup to adhere to a supporting surface.

it will be understood that in walking the weight of the person on the shoe sole will cause the suction cups to adhere to a supporting surface and at the same time the upper ply 13 will be compressed so as to'force the valve elements 24 downwardly into engagement with the annular upper edges 25 of the apertures 21 to thereby close off and seal air in the cavities 26. When the foot is lifted, the upper ply 13 being resilient will return to its normal formation so as to pull the valve elements 24 upwardly and open the apertures 21, thus freeing the entrapped air in the cavities 20 which will flow into the suction cup to thereby break the vacuum therein.

In the application of the invention to a bathmat 30 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 of the drawings, the mat is of two ply construction which plies are coextensive and are cemented or otherwise secured together throughout their extent to seal the bond therebetween. The upper ply 31 is provided with a cavity 32 for each suction cup 33 which is formed integrally with and depends from the lower ply 34. The suction cups 33 are arranged in spaced relation over the entire underface of the bathmat and with the inner arcuate face 35 of each cup forming a cup shaped recess 36 which is arranged centrally below one of the cavities 32. The upper wall 37 of each cavity is of arcuate shaped formation and depending therefrom is a valve element 38 which projects into a cylindrical shaped aperture 39 and provides a valve element for closing off the flow of air from the cavity 32 to the recess 36.

It is to be understood that the bathmat functions similarly to that of the shoe 10 in the previous form of the invention, that is, when a person is standing or seated on the bathmat, the suction cups will adhere to the supporting surface and when the pressure on the bathmat is removed the valve elements 38 will be retracted so as to permit the air entrapped in the cavities 32 to flow through the apertures 39 and into the recesses 36 to quickly break the suction of the suction cups. This is true also if the bathmat is submerged in water and the cavities 32 fill up with water instead of air. Release of pressure on the bathmat will cause the water in the cavities to flow into the recesses 36 to break the suction.

Articles of manufacture of said character are particularly useful on wet or slippery surfaces and the bathmat may be provided on the upper face thereof with a plu- .rality of dome shaped protuberances 46 for preventing tion to two articles of manufacture, it is to be understood that the same is not so limited but shall cover and include any and all articles of manufacture to which the invention is applicable.

What is claimed is:

. 1. In an article of manufacture having non-slip suction means on the underface thereof, said article of manufacture including upper and lowerplies of resilient material which are secured together in face to face relation provide a seal therebetween, said lower ply having a plurality of depending cup shaped walls integrally connected therewith and providing a cup shaped recess within each wall forming a suction cup, said upper ply having a plurality of cavities arranged centrally over the cup shaped recesses respectively, said lower ply having apertures therethrough each communicating at its upper end with one of said cavities and at its lower end with one of said cup shaped recesses, and a valve element depending from the upper Wall of each of said cavities and adapted to engage with said lower ply for closing off the apertures to thereby prevent the flow of air from said cavities to said cup shaped recesses respectively, and said article of manufacture being adapted to adhere to a supporting surface when Weight is applied thereon by the adherence of said suction cups to the supporting surface and to move said valve elements tov close the apertures between the cup shaped recesses and said cavities respectively to thereby entrap air in said cavities and said air being released from said cavities for breaking the seal of said suction cups when the pressure on said article of manufacture is released.

2. In an article of manufacture having non-slip suction means on the underface thereof, said article of manu facture including upper and lower plies of resilient material which are secured together in face to face relation 4 provide a seal therebetween, said lower ply having a plurality of depending cup shaped walls integrally connected therewith and providing a cup shaped recess within each wall forming a suction cup, said upper ply having a cavity for each cup shaped recess, said lower ply having aperture's therethrough each communicating at its upper end with one of said cavities and at its lower end with one of said cup shaped recesses, and a valve element depending from the upper wall of each of said cavities and adapted to engage with said lower ply for closing off said apertures to thereby prevent the how of air from said cavities to said cup shaped recesses respectively and to entrap air in said cavities when pressure is applied to the means on the underface thereof, said article of manu.-

facture including a supporting body having a plurality of depending cup shaped walls providing a cup shaped recess within eachwall forming a suction cup, said body having cavities which open into said cup shaped recesses respectively, and a valve element arranged in each of said cavities adapted to close oif said cavities from said cup References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,568,064 Goldman Ian. 5, 1926 2,738,598 'Inga' Mar. 20, 1956 7 2,746,173

Tranmal May 22, 1956 

